For fans who got turned on to
R.L. Burnside
thanks to
The Sopranos
, this compilation perhaps represents the next logical step toward embracing the postmodern juke joint sound of the
Fat Possum
label.
Chapter VII: All Men Are Liars
goes where no
blues
compilation has ever dared to go, blurring the lines between
Delta blues
and, yes,
punk
. (
would outdo this feat with
New Beats From the Delta
, which straddled the
/
hip-hop
fence). Featuring some of the crunchiest guitar riffs imaginable,
Chapter VII
is a quick 41-minute romp that invites
Mississippi blues
legends (
Burnside
,
Junior Kimbrough
) and their
garage band
progeny (
20 Miles
Bob Log III
the Neckbones
) to the same mosh pit. The results range from one-chord,
John Lee Hooker
-style boogies to pure headbanger material -- and somehow, it all gels together. Less
intensive than its sister compilation
Not the Same Old Blues Crap
is also louder, cruder, and much more fun. ~ Ken Chang